Health Policy Analysis Using SAS and STATA

Each year, the federal government collects, manages, and makes available considerable amounts of population health data. In this course, students gain working knowledge of databases, such as NHANES, NHIS, and MEPS, that are frequently used by public health analysts, policy makers, and researchers. The course will cover the types of variables that are included in each database. It will also discuss how the data are collected, how to retrieve the data, and how to prepare the data for statistical analysis. Using SAS or STATA, students learn how to develop appropriate research questions and analyze the data, with emphasis on data management, exploratory data analysis, regression analysis, and the interpretation of statistical analysis. Finally, students will study a series of published papers on health policy in order to understand the application of statistical methods to the field.